The Rogue Altmer
by divineamaterasu
Summary: An Altmer ran away from her homeland to live a simple life in Skyrim, a province of wonder, finds out not all is what it seems. She learns that her fate is now entwined with this new land as her dragon blood awakens. However, being an outcast she must hide her identity to gain Skyrim's support. Now she, and her unlikely companion must find the truth and destroy The World Eater.
1. A Prologue

My writing will improve I swear! Thanks for reading!

...

 **The Rogue Altmer**

...

An Altmer stood tall in row of men and women wearing imperial uniforms. Though she rivaled the mens heights and dwarfed the few other women, she still managed to look the weakest of all of them. She couldn't help but notice her arms were a third of the size of the man next to her, but she then remembered him as being one of the men to prefer a great sword, and she could barely swing one of those accursed things. The she elf returned her attention to the man who stood facing the line currently announcing the new position of one of the men he called up, today was the day the imperial trainees graduated into guards and soldiers. She was nervous, waiting for her name to be called. She would be assigned her future roll as apart of the Imperial Legion. Not that she wanted to be a part of it, it just happened to be the first job offer she received upon moving to Skyrim.

"Amarathine," the captain's voice finally announced. It was time. Please be guard duty, please be guard duty she chanted in her mind. Perhaps Auri-el would hear her prayers.

"Yes sir." The elf answered before stepping out. It was only a year ago she managed to escape from her father and her home, Alinor. Of course Skyrim was her destination, she had heard wonderous stories of all the different people who lived there. Skyrim was a haven for all races to coexist. Or so it was, until the day she stepped foot of the boat and into Solitude and realized all was not as it was told.

The Altmer received a Imperial sword and bow, as well as a helmet. "You, Amarathine, are hereby assigned to the town of Helgen as guard. You have shown your potential with the sword, but lack what it takes to be a true warrior of the Imperial Legion. You are welcome to continue your training in Helgen and return in a years time to reapply." He put a hand on her shoulder. She was the same height as him. "And I think a guards life would be what you prefer anyway," he added in a softer tone.

She smiled at him. "Thank you, sir." He nodded his head as she turned to rejoin the line, some men glanced at her mockingly, a gesture she was used to. Not only was she a woman, but an Altmer as well. Many still didn't approve of her. It was nothing new, she was treated just the same back home. She rebelled the Altmer's ways since she was a child, refusing to cut her black hair and wear it up at the top of her head. She snuck into the library and read books she was not allowed to read. She even refused to wear makeup to make her appear more "pure blooded".

The dull ceremony ended an hour later. General Tullius even came out at the end to give a long inspirational speech about defeating the Stormcloaks, nord rebels lead by a man named Ulfric, who had killed the high king only two months ago.

There was going to be a feast later that night, so Amarathine rushed back to the Winking Skeever where she had lived since she first arrived. She needed to change and re tie her hair to better cover her ears that were starting to poke out again. Often she wore a hood during her time off training, her skin was not as golden as most Altmer so many paid her no heed if she hid her face and ears.

She pulled the heavy door closed behind her only to be bombarded by the Inn keeper, Corpulus. "So what's the verdict young lady?" It took her a long time before she stopped wincing at his loud voice everytime he spoke to her. Men here spoke too loud.

"Guard duty." she replied flatly sliding onto a bar stool in front of him. There was a buzz of idle chatter in the background.

Corpulus grinned, "Exactly what you wanted!" He pushed a candle closer to her noticing she was trying to warm up her hands. "So where'd ya get stationed?"

Amarathine put her hands over the candle. "Over in Helgen, though I don't know where it is."

The Innkeeper blinked "Do you know where Falkreath is?" Why was he talking so quietly? Her face dropped when realization hit her.

"You mean it's that far away?" She exclaimed in disbelief. Falkreath was on the other end of Skyrim, the furthest from Solitude she had ever been was the stables.

He nodded.

The elf sighed, "well at least I'll finally get to see Skyrim.." She looked back at Corpulus. "You think I can afford a horse?"

Giving her a strained smile he shook his head. "Not bloody likely."

Amarathine let her head fall back and moaned. It was at least a months journey to Falkreath without a horse. Well, at least she wasn't put in Riften. After more pointless chatter she excused herself she made for her room towards the back of the Inn, greeting those she passed on the way.

Her room was small but she liked it, she made a point of keeping the fire going all the time so it was still warm when she got back. She sat at her desk across from the fireplace and undid her hair. She looked into her small vanity mirror propped against the stone wall to assess the damage. Her hair was a mess, between helmet head and the wind it was flat on the top and the ends stuck out matted. It was painful to brush, but Amarathine refused to cut it. She thought of the other two Altmer women who lived in Solitude, Endarie and Taarie, both coming up with reasons to cut it every time she visited their shop. What those two Altmer women were doing in Skyrim, Amarathine had no idea, exiled for insulting someone of higher status was her first guess.

Amarathine put down her old wooden comb and re tied her hair into a braid at the nape of her neck. Pushing aside the feeling of impending doom, she changed out of her light armor and put on a simple dress and shoes before slipping on her cloak and heading back out into the chilly Hearthfire evening.

After the feast she once again made it back to the Inn, it was now full of people loudly talking and singing. Even the Argonian Gulum-Ei who visited once a week, was up dancing to the bard's enthusiastic drum beat. She was fascinated by him. Never in her life had she seen one, and according to the books in the library back home Argonians were nothing more than walking lizards who could not speak let alone sing or dance. She once tried to talk to him, but he made it clear he wanted nothing to do with her. Perhaps she would meet another Argonian one day. And possibly a Khajiit too.

Back in her room she packed the few belongings she had. She planned to leave first light and head for Dragon Bridge. Corpulus told her the fastest way was through Rorickstead and to turn east just after Lake Klinalth.

She packed only what she could fit in her fur backpack, a dress and tunic, a book, a spare ribbon for her ebony hair. The rest of the space was needed for fruit and a block of fire starter. Tomorrow was going to be the start of an adventure. She always dreamed of traveling Skyrim but finally being there made her scared of what she might encounter on the way. Amarathine only left the city walls of Solitude a few times, and only when on training missions with other trainees. This time she would be alone in the cold vastness of Skyrim. She would need torches too, she remembered. Fire was said to help ward off wildlife at night. Suddenly she imagined herself being attacked by a bear. Would she be able to kill it? She let out a long sigh.

"I'm going to die." She looked around her cozy room once more, thinking of things she forgot to pack. "I'm not even going to make it to the bridge.." she added hopelessly.

Getting up off the stone floor, she put another piece of wood in the fire before crawling into bed. Strange how much more warm and comfortable it was tonight she thought staring into the fire as it slowly started to engulf the newly added log. She felt her nerves set in again.

"Maybe I should just go home."

...


	2. The World Outside Our Window

Ok it's starting to come back to me! Hope you enjoy!

 _"I'll open up my eyes, and see this world for the very first time."_

 _~Amarante_

 _..._

Waving goodbye to the Innkeeper, Amarathine set off with a few extra items for her travel as a gift from him. She woke up that morning in a much better mood than she went to sleep with, now fulling embracing her newest chapter in life. As she approached the city gates, the gate man swung open one of the heavy doors giving her a nod. She recognized him, like many of the guards in Solitude, but didn't know his name. He was one of a few that still hadn't started wearing his helm full time. Since Ulfric murdered the High King more and more guards chose to armor up more than usual in case of an attack, especially with the impending civil war.

"Try not to get lost on the way, traveler." He winked. Amarathine scoffed at his condescending tone.

"Not like you're the first to say that," she replied. Everyone who knew her fate seemed to go out of their way to tell her something of the like.

The Gatekeeper chuckled, "Oh I'm sure you'll be fine! You're tougher than anyone takes you for granted for." He gave her a rather strong pat on the back to emphasize his point. Although she was short for an Altmer, she was an inch taller than the stalky man.

"Ow," she groaned. "You're so encouraging." Amarathine rubbed her now sore shoulder blade, glaring at him.

He gave her a final grin before he started to close the gate behind her. The elf put the hood of her thickly lined cloak over her head and faced out towards the path ahead. She took a deep breath before taking the first step out of Solitude.

Dragon Bridge was only a few days straight south, and it was a common road for people to travel. Sure enough just past the stables she spotted people in the distance coming northward. This wasn't so bad, the she elf thought. She didn't walk particularly fast, she let her long legs find a comfortable pace and looked up to the blue sky dotted with fluffy clouds. A song she often heard the bard back at the Inn sing, suddenly popped into her mind. She hummed the upbeat tune as she walked her pace matching the song's beat. She imagined herself back in the Summerset Isles dancing shoeless in the green grass. The warmth of the southern sun on her face, her velvet dress flowing about her as she spun. For a moment she wondered why she left.

Corpulus did mention southern Skyrim was much warmer than Haafingar and that the plants grew green and lush, that alone made the journey worth it. Since she came to Skyrim she felt nothing but its cold climate. Seeing her breath was foreign to her just a year ago.

Amarathine looked up at the cloud that suddenly covered up the sun, cursing it for the chill it suddenly caused her. Yes Helgen was going to be much better than here.

More travelers passed her, nodding their heads as a greeting. She gave a smile in return. They were farmers, perhaps husband and wife. She eyed what they had for supplies seeing as they were probably more experienced traveling. Each carried their own backpack, torches, and bed rolls. The woman had a wooden bow and the man, an iron dagger. Ok, so she wasn't totally done for.

A few minutes past and the sun once again came out. Immediately Amarathine's good mood returned as she continued her adventure.

Of course her good mood only lasted until the sun started setting. The temperature rapidly dropped as the wind picked up. The Mer's eyes grew wide as a loud howling noise sounded in the distance. She reached for the torch attached to her backpack only to realize she didn't remember how to light it. Dropping her backpack on the ground she began to fumble around, hoping she had something to do the trick. Sure enough she felt her fire starter, a piece of flint. She unsheathed her new sword and struck it with the flint on top of the torch, sure enough a single spark fell onto the fabric, lighting it.

"Huh." She blinked, surprised it actually worked. She was hardly aware of the giant grin on her face as she put her backpack back in and gathered herself.

Perhaps she held the torch a little closer than she should have, but the warmth it gave off was worth the fire hazard. Hopefully there was a good place to stop up ahead.

It was now dark, Amarathine shifted her eyes more and more often with the increase of animal noises. Wolves, crickets, owls, they were all so loud, surrounding her with their calls to one another. Further up ahead she could just make out a light of what she hoped to be a fire, she would feel better if she camped with other people her first night. The dark was much more scary outside of the city walls.

Thankfully the light was what she had hoped for. However, the people surrounding the fire were not Nords, or men at all, they were Khajiit. Or so Amarathine assumed, never actually seeing one before. The three feline people looked up at the Altmer before glancing back at each other, curious.

"This one is traveling alone, yes?" The female looking one voiced with a strange accent. Amarathine noted the sword and shield she carried, though it looked like she was in the process of removing her steel armor for the night.

"I welcome you, friend. Come, sit by Ma'dran." The auburn cat man spoke. He gestured to the ground beside him with a furred hand.

Amarathine glanced at the silent Khajiit, the dark fur on his face contrasted with a pink scar above his nose. His blue eyes almost glowing from the light of the fire. He only became more intimidating as he narrowed his eyes at her. A greatsword ginting on his back.

"Ah Ma'jhad is making this one nervous. Do not worry, he is simply cautious, it is his duty." The auburn Khajit now patted beside him. "Come, the fire is warm and this one is weary."

She could not resist, and sat down beside him despite her nerves. The Altmer immediately brought her hands up to the fire. "My name is Amarathine." She greeted politely, "and thank you," she added.

"It is a cold night this night. We Khajiit much prefer the warm sands of our home." It was the female that spoke this time. "But we see you are far from home as well, High Elf. I am called Ra'zhinda."

Amarathine was surprised at how easily the Khajiit woman could identify her, feeling no need to hide she pulled off her hood to reveal her disheveled hair still half tied.

Finally the dark Khajiit broke his silence. "This one does not look like Thalmor. Ma'jhad has never seen an Altmer in Imperial armor. It is strange, no?" He tilted his head slightly.

Oh no, not that word again. The Thalmor where openly hated in Skyrim, and rightfully so. Back in Alinor, her father had always told her how great the Thalmor troops were, spreading peace and knowledge throughout Tamriel. Teaching ignorant people better ways of life, showing them what they could have. But no. The reality was quite the opposite. The Thalmor were supremacists that wanted nothing more than to rule Tamriel and enslave as those who opposed. Up until the death of the High King Torygg, they remained quiet, but in the past few months they've begun acting up. She had heard rumors that they were waiting for the right opportunity to start their assault, and a civil war was the perfect opportunity. She had noticed those who once quietly glared at her, started accusing her of being a spy and spreading rumors of their own about her. They would not believe, even when she pled innocence.

"No," she answered, "I came to Skyrim to get away from my kind, not help it spread its foolish beliefs."

Ma'dran stared at her. "Why does one join the Imperial army then?"

Amarathine sighed. "When I first came here there was no threat of war, I joined because I wanted to learn how to defend myself, and joining the army is an easy way to get a job afterwards as well."

All three Khajit nodded accepting her explanation. "It is hard for all those who are not native to this place." Ra'zhinda mentioned.

"I've heard the Khajiit cannot even enter cities because they are not trusted." The mer voiced.

"Nords think all Khajiit are the same, one Khajit steals many moons ago, all are no longer welcome." Ra'zhinda made a disgusted face. "It is Nords who are all the same." She spat. The male Khajits nodded in agreement.

The Mer shrugged, "I don't think all of them are that bad, I had a few friends." She looked at Ra'zhinda. "They just have to get to know you first."

"Perhaps this one is right." Ma'dran agreed, "but Ma'dran doesn't worry, he is too hungry."

Ra'zhinda brought out a sack full of food to be prepared. The Khajit agreed to share with Amarathine if she helped them cook. Of course she agreed taking a cutting board and some vegetables to cut for a stew. As an increasingly appetizing smell filled the air, Amarathine learned more about the traveling Khajiit caravan. Ma'dran was the merchant selling both legal and illegal items and Ra'zhinda and Ma'jhad where his guards. They traveled between Windhelm and Solitude selling their wears to wanderers and soldiers, or anyone looking to buy more _secretive_ things.

She learned more about Elsweyr, their home. It sounded much nicer than Skyrim, warm and tropical. They told her there were few cities because Khajiit prefer to live in small villages, of their love for moon sugar and how it was a pure form of crystallized moonlight that gave them their life force. Apparently they even used it a spice, Amarathine wondered if there was any in the soup she just ate.

Slowly the stories turned to song and the once quiet Ma'jhad let out his loud voice in the form of a strange language, singing in a way she had never heard before. Not long after the other two feline people joined in. First they merely swayed their bodies to the tune of their voices, but it didn't take long before they got up and danced. She noticed they used their hands to interpret what they sung as their form of dance.

The Altmer smiled and laughed at the strange Khajit dance, she now rocking her body back and forth to the song. It was strange how good she felt at the moment, it must have been a combination of the sweet stew and her entertaining company that put her in such a euphoric state. Before she knew what was happening, soft furred hands grabbed hers and pulled her up. Ra'zhinda gave her a cat like grin before she resumed dancing. Now standing, nothing held Amarathine back from joining in. She clapped and danced around the fire with the Khajiit traders well into the cold night.

The next morning Amarathine awoke in a small tent she shared with Ra'zhinda. The feline woman, however, was already outside with Ma'dran and Ma'jhad. Ra'zhinda was stoking the now dwindling fire while the latter two sat across from each other talking while they prepared fish that she presumed they caught earlier that morning.

Amarathine climbed out of the tent grabbing her armor to go change out of sight.

"This one slept well, I hope?" The Mer looked up at the owner of the accented voice.

Ma'jhad smiled slyly at her, as the other Khajiit turned to acknowledge her as well. Before she could answer, Ma'dran opened his mouth. "Perhaps we used too much moon sugar in our meal last night."

The high elf narrowed her eyes at him. "I knew it!" she exclaimed.

"Ma'dran will not put any moon sugar on this ones fish. He does not want the she elf to become," he paused thinking of the right word, "addicted." The others nodded in agreement.

Amarathine grimised "I'm not sure if I'd like sweet fish anyways." She wondered if they would even cook their fish after dousing it with moon sugar. The three cat people looked at each other with disbelieving faces as she turned to leave.

She walked down to the stream she assumed the Khajiit caught their breakfast. She changed out of her tunic and pants before kneeling at the bank to quickly wash her face in the clear flowing water. The sun was out, helping her endure the nip of the cool breeze. Fastening up the final piece of her armor and slipping on her boots, she headed back to the Khajiit caravan. The pleasant smell of roasting fish filled her nose as she sat down beside the fire that was now roaring again.

Ma'jhad handed her stick with a raw fish on the end. "This fish has no spice, Ma'jhad prepared it himself."

Amarathine smiled at the dark furred feline. "Thank you, I'm sure it'll be good none the less."

He stuck his tongue out in disgust "Ma'jhad doubts this ones words." the Khajiit sat down across the fire beside Ra'zhinda. Ma'dran was beside her enjoying his roast fish. She held out her fish by the fire slowly turning it so it would cook evenly.

"We too will go to Dragon Bridge."

Amarathine blinked before turning to face Ma'dran. He continued, "this one may travel with us, if this one wants."

She glanced at the other to Khajiit to make sure they approved as well, they looked back with accepting faces. This would mean she would travel for the next few days with them. Surely it would take longer because of all their possessions they traveled with, but it would be a much more enjoyable time in the company of these three cat people.

"This one accepts Ma'dran's offer." she mimicked their accent as well as she could. It must have been awful though, because they all laughed.

...


	3. Possession

Oh hey. Finally some action. Review!

 _..._

 _"Turn away from the sun_

 _It'll take you grace."_

 _~Amarante_

 _..._

"No no, it is wrong!" Ra'zhinda shook her head at Amarathine. The Khajiit woman decided it would be fun to train the elf Rawlith Khaj, a form of hand to claw combat, or something like that.

The Altmer currently stood on one leg holding the other in the air in the form of a front kick. Ra'zhinda was helping her work on technique by making her do everything slow motion. "This one's foot is too low for these long legs." The feline woman grabbed her foot and pushed it until it was head height. "This is more effective," she stated before dropping the elf's foot.

Amarathine wined, "but I have no power kicking that high." Returning to her fighting stance she kicked again, before jogging back up to the Khajiit. They practiced as they traveled, so her and Ra'zhinda would stop and catch up to the other two feline men frequently.

Ra'zhinda looked pointedly at her. "That's because this one is wrong!" She moved beside the elf and demonstrated the kick for at least the fiftieth time today. "Knee up first, then kick out." Her kick was higher than her head, even with the steel armor she wore. "Now try again!"

Taking a deep breath, the elf glanced at her instructor before attempting again. This time she brought her knee up all the way up to her chest before kicking out her leg. This time her foot went well above her head before she clumsily brought it down again.

"Yes, yes!" Ra'zhinda praised enthusiastically. Amarathine looked over to the sound of clapping to see Ma'jhad and Ma'dran up ahead of them observing. She turned back to the cat woman with an excited smile.

"Next kick," she said tersely. The she elf's smile vanished. "This one has much to learn in a short time."

It was the afternoon of the second day of traveling with the Khajiit caravan. Tomorrow they would reach Dragon Bridge where the Khajiit would stop to sell wears and Amarathine would continue on. She enjoyed the Khajiit's presence more than any Nords or Imperials. They typically spent their time educating her on their culture, which lead to Rawlith Khaj and in turn, her lessons. Other common topics included Skyrim's awful weather, how to maintain a shiny coat, and moon sugar.

By that evening Amarathine graduated to back kicks, seeing as she could do front, turning, and side now. This kick was the hardest, she was told to bend down low and kick straight back. It sounded easy enough, but her balance didn't agree.

This time it was Ma'jhad that demonstrated the kick, he switched with Ra'zhanda an hour ago because he wanted to see her progress. In one fluid motion he spun on the balls of his feet to face away from her and with speed she had never seen before, he kicked back, his foot stopping an inch from her nose. Amarathine made a small squealing sound while her eyes bulged. She felt the turbulence of his kick blow back the loose strands of her hair.

"Impressive, no?" Ma'jhad said smugly returning to a standing position in front of her.

The Altmer woman put her hands on her hips. "Yes you are amazing Ma'jhad, let me bask in your eternal glow." sarcasm dripping from her words.

The dark furred Khajiit Bowed, "It is Ma'jhad's pleasure."

She must have provoked him, because he went into a a resting stance taking a deep breath.

Amarathine turned to see Ra'zhanda and Ma'dran had stopped, they must have known what Ma'jhad was going to do. Turning her eyes back to him, he began a strange dance of blocks, punches and kicks. The Khajiit warrior would be relaxed when moving, but snapped out the final stance in a lethal way. She could hear the snapping noise of his tunic after every movement. It was genuinely impressive, and beautiful. When he finished Amarathine clapped, joined by the other two Khajiit.

"Beautiful as always, Ma'jhad." Ra'zhinda praised. Ma'dran nodded in agreement.

The latter looked at the elf. "Ma'jhad is a true master of Rawlith Khaj, a prodige since a kitten." Amarathine turned back to the scarred Khajiit as he approached the group. His head held high, reminding her much of an Altmer.

The sun began to set causing the sky to glow with large pink clouds. Amarathine was designated wood gatherer while Ra'zhanda set up the fire pit. Ma'dran set out to catch supper, and Ma'jhad was in charge of setting up the tents.

The Altmer wandered out of sight of the camp in search of fallen branches. She stopped to line herself up with a tree and practiced a kick.

Bad idea, the tree hurt her foot more than she expected. She dropped the few branches she was holding in favor of grabbing her leg and jumping on her other foot for balance. "Ow, that hurt!" Regaining some composure, she looked around to make sure no one witnessed her embarrassing moment. After a three sixty check she determined no one saw, relieved she picked up the wood she dropped and continued her search.

Ma'dran rejoined the camp shortly after Amarathine and Ra'zhinda started the fire, in his clawed hands hung three dead rabbits. Ma'jhad, who was now sitting on a mat beside Amarathine, was the first to acknowledge him. "There are four of us, slowpaw. Ma'dran is short a rabbit."

"Slowpaw?" The Altmer looked between the insulted Khajiit and the one beside her.

Ma'dran ignored her question. "Perhaps Ma'jhad would like to catch his own meals from this day on." His eyes narrowed dangerously at the dark furred Khajiit.

"This one can barely catch his own food, perhaps Ma'jhad will."

Amarathine noticed both Khajiit's pupils contracting to narrow slits. She couldn't help but feel guilty, if it wasn't for her, three rabbits would be plenty. She thought of the three apples slowly going bad in her backpack. Of course, she could eat those!

"It's ok, Ma'jhad, Ma'dran." She interrupted hesitantly. Both snapped their heads to her, eyes still hostile for a moment. She continued, "I have some fruit still, I'll eat that tonight. You three can have the rabbits." Amarathine put on her best smile despite the situation.

"This one does not need to deprive herself for the behalf of these two kittens." It was Ra'zhinda who was just changing out of her armor inside her tent, she wore a simple tunic now.

The she elf shrugged, "they're going bad anyways, I don't want to let them go to waste."

"Suit yourself." Ma'jhad said anger vanishing.

Argument seemingly forgotten, Ma'dran sat down beside Ra'zhanda who was now sitting across from Ma'jhad. The fire blazed, warming the small group. It was a somewhat pleasant night, there was no bone chilling wind for once, a rare occasion for Skyrim. Amarathine didn't even need to wrap herself in her cloak, it was a nice feeling.

After a sweet supper, the caravan travelers chatted amongst each other. Amarathine leaned back on her hands looking up at the starry sky while idly listening to the Khajiits' stories. She missed the room at the Inn, had Corpulus already rented it to guests? Was the fire still burning? She wondered if she would finally be able to afford a house in Helgen. Would she find a husband there, have a family? Her eyes started to feel heavy, all this wondering must have been making her tired.

"Goodnight," she bid to the others, getting up.

"Dream of warm sands," Ra'zhinda responded as she nodded with the other two Khajiit.

Amarathine smiled, "I will."

She climbed into the tent she shared with the female Khajiit and curled up in her bed roll. She put the covers up over her head getting as warm and cozy as possible before drifting off.

...

The afternoon of the next day they made it to Dragon Bridge. It was a dull cloudy day, reflecting how Amarathine felt in her heart. She would have happily traveled with Khajiit caravan all the way down to Helgen. She felt safe with them, not to mention how fast the days went by with their presence distracting her from the constant walking and aching muscles. They taught her their cultures self defense techniques – today was blocking – in hopes of helping her if anything happened in the future.

"I won't forget your generosity," she blinked her blurry eyes. They stood where the Khajiit were planning on setting up just out of town by the giant bridge Amarathine would soon have to cross on her own.

Ra'zhinda grinned, pulling the Altmer into her armor covered arms. "This one is so emotional!" She exclaimed.

"No I'm not!" Amarathine defended, hugging the Khajiit woman in return. She looked up from Ra'zhinda's shoulder at Ma'jhad and Ma'dran who stood just behind the feline woman she was embracing. The former smirking with his hands on his hips, the latter shaking his head at her with a similar expression.

After Ra'zhinda released her, Ma'dran presented her with a dagger. "It is a gift from Ma'dran, this one may need it on her journey."

"Thank you Ma'dran," Amarathine took the dagger, once again blinking back tears. These Khajiit were so kind and generous, the opposite of what she was always told. "May this one walk on warm sands, and our paths cross again." He bid.

It was now Ma'jhad's turn. The silent Khajiit merly put a hand on her shoulder and nodded briskly. She noticed the ghost of a smile on his feline face.

"Thank you for teaching me Rawlith Khaj." Though it was Ra'zhinda's idea, Ma'jhad ended up taking over, apparently Ra'zhinds technique wasn't perfect and therefore he was a better teacher.

"This one was an excellent student. She would make a fine Khajiit." The ebony Khajiit padded her shoulder in emphasis. "Ra'jhin's luck be with you." he returned his furred hand to his side, giving her a final curt nod.

Pushing aside the sinking feeling she took a deep breath and bowed her head back at him. After a final goodbye, she turned towards the great stone bridge and continued her adventure.

...

A few more days past since parting with the Khajiit caravan. She found the journey much more boring now. The days seemed to last longer, and the nights, colder. Often she would practice the techniques the warrior Khajiit taught her. Instead of walking, she went into a fighting stance and simply kicked with her back leg and putting in the front and repeating for a few minutes at a time. She greeted other travelers when she saw them, she met only a few each day, most in carriages. Too bad she didn't have money, it looked so much easier.

The evening sun was bright and warm as she approached a gorge with watchtowers overlooking it. Amarathine assumed it was a guard post, seeing as it was overlooking the main roadway.

As she got closer she saw the building on the berms on either side of the road were connected by a wooden bridge. A man in hide armor stood up from a chair at the side of the road. She grew cautious of the situation, a guard would be wearing proper Imperial armor. Looking back up at the buildings her keen eyes spotted movement, she guessed they caught sight of her too.

She clenched her fists now having a very bad feeling about this place. These people, they must have been bandits, but she was an Imperial soldier. She would just have to act tough and surely they would let her though without trouble. The Altmer tried to calm her breathing as she approached the man on the road, noticing the sword on his hip.

"Well what do we have here?" His voice was loud and raspy, he smirked at her wildly. "The toll is usually 100 septims, but seeing as you're a soldier, its 500." He held out a calloused hand.

Amarathine frowned at the disgusting man. He smelled like he hadn't bathed in weeks. "I don't have any money. Let me pass." She was proud how firm her voice came out, the complete opposite of how she felt.

The bandit let out a laugh, Amarathine cringed at the smell of his breath. "You hear that boys, this woman has no money for us!" He yelled up to the men who now stood on the bridge overlooking the path where she stood. They begun to hoot and laugh along with the man in front of her.

Before the Altmer could react, the large man reached out and pulled off her hood, pulling some of her with it.

"Ah!" She yelped in both pain and shock. She looked back at the man who now held her hood in his hand.

His smile only grew. "Well look at this, a High Elf! And a pretty one at that!" His eyes grew wild.

"I know how she can pay us!" One of the men on the bridge hollered. The others howled and laughed like a pack of hungry wolves.

She knew where this was going and she had to escape before it happened. Amarathine pulled out her sword from its sheath pointing it threateningly at the man before her. "Let me pass!" She yelled, hearing the desperateness in her own voice.

The man swung his hand out and knocked the sword from her shaking hands. Her eyes widened in shock, she was pathetic. How could she call herself a soldier? She looked at the man, fear in her eyes. He looked like a ravenous dog, practically panting behind yellow teeth. The bandit grabbed her wrist and twisted. She fell to her knees crying out in pain.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the other men run off the bridge. The bandit that held her wrist began to drag her off the main road and towards a dirt path. She screamed now, kicking and punching at the man. It seemed like he was made of stone.

"No!" She cried. She reached into her boot and pulled out the dagger Ma'dran gave her. "Let me go!" She thrust the knife into his thigh as hard as she could.

The bandit yelled in pain. He looked at her, seething, before slapping her across the face so hard her vision went black for a moment. She barely felt her body hit the ground still in a daze.

Suddenly she was surrounded by the men from the bridge, there were so many of them frantic around her. She felt hands grabbing her everywhere. Screaming, she kept trying to get out of their hold to no avail.

Thud.

Everything went quiet, the men grew still. Amarathine followed their eyes to an arrow protruding from the chest of one of the men on her left. A moment later the man gargled blood and fell back, dead.

Her mind was reeling, what just happened. Who shot that man? Was someone...saving her? The men around her got up in a flurry drawing their weapons looking for the source of the arrow. The bandit with Amarathines dagger jutting out of his leg pointed to the other side of the berm. "There!" He screamed, "kill him!"

Another arrow shot out and hit a second bandit. The men burst into action, apparently they too were blinded by the sunlight the arrows came from.

The Altmer managed to sit up and look where the bandit was pointing. She had to put her arm up to shade her eyes from the sun. A silhouette of a man holding a bow stood over on the far berm. He was blotted out by the intense evening sunlight making him look more like it was a divine who was saving her than a man. A sight Amarathine would never forget.


	4. Glowing Light

Thanks a million for the review and follows! Keep it up :D

...

 _"I can feel the blinding light enter my eyes_

 _I will let it tilt me up and change my life"_

...

Amarathine watched as the bandits forgot about her, now obsessed with killing the archer on the far hill. They took off down the dirt road and across the main path, hollering.

She felt disorientated,going back to the main roadway made sense, but she didn't to want to go anywhere near the men who attacked her. Without another thought, she ran past a wooden gate and into a camp. It was large and bordered by a fence with a few tents scattered about. The Altmer remembered the bridge and tried to think which direction it was. It was hard to concentrate, her head was spinning in confusion. She could hear men shouting, their voices echoing off the rocks, further adding to her bewilderment.

There, in front of her, was the wooden building she recognized as the one that overlooked the main path on the left. The bridge must have been near it!

Amarathine ran straight for the wooden steps that came into view, there was the bridge! She darted up the steps and made it to the base of the bridge, she looked over the side to see a dead bandit lying on the road below, an arrow in his neck.

Suddenly she saw a blur wiz past her face. There was a thudding sound as an arrow sunk into the post just beside her. She whipped her head in the direction it came from to see a bandit across the bridge notching another arrow in his bow. She felt even more fear wash over her looking at his sadistic expression, he was enjoying this!

Amarathine felt a hand grab her wrist and let out a piercing scream, trying to free herself as it pulled her away from the bridge.

"Come on!" A deep voice commanded.

It was then she noticed something strange about the hand, she took a breath and looked up at its owner. The man dragging her off the bridge was not a man at all, he was an Argonian. She immediately stopped resisting, perhaps out of shock, she thought.

He guided her behind the house onto the rocks, the Altmer struggled to keep up with the nimble Argonian man, tripping over the large boulders.

"Kill them!" She heard one of the bandits yell from behind them. She glanced back to see another man join the bandit who just about shot her, he too held a bow pointed at them. Time seemed to slow down as Amarathines ears rung, both men released their arrows one after another.

Before she could move a pair of arms wrapped around her, spinning her out of the way. There was a weightless feeling in her stomach, as she felt herself falling off the edge of the rocks. The Argonian turned her in his arms so he would hit the water first, she looked up at the darkening sky before being engulfed by the cold water.

She felt the Argonian release her with one hand, and began to swim more strongly than she ever could. He resurfaced a moment later, giving her a chance to breathe. She coughed out the water in her lungs. She looked around, trying to find out where they were, even as she did the current moved them further. Over on some rocks, she spotted the two men looking out to the water where they must of first jumped in.

"I've set up camp nearby, I will take you there." The deep voice beside her spoke.

Amarathine turned to him, a moss colored Argonian with curved horns and soft round eyes. "Alright."

In the darkness, they swam over to the far shore to find the Argonian man's makeshift camp. Amarathine observed the beginning of a fire pit, a half unrolled bed roll and a backpack lying on the ground.

"Ah I forgot to introduce myself," the Argonian started, "My name's Derkeethus." He made a face she assumed was a smile by the brightness of his turquoise eyes.

Amarathine returned the gesture. "I am Amarathine," she bowed her head. "Thank you, for saving my life." She smiled back at him.

The Argonian called Derkeethus brought a hand up behind his head letting out a nervous laugh. "It was nothing, milady."

Amarathine looked over at the now distant rocks across the river. "But how did you know I was being attacked?" She sent him a questioning look.

He blinked. "I heard you scream."

She looked back at the rocks, even if she did scream she doubted it could be heard from this far away.

Derkeethus must of realized what she was thinking. "Argonians have better hearing than most. I heard some commotion and ran to help." He stated, like it was the most obvious thing on Nern.

So he was the kind to help strangers despite of the possibility of being killed? She thought those people only existed in stories, and even the ones in stories were never Argonians.

She stood as she watched him walk over to his backpack and grab out a bundle of white fabric. He handed it to her. "Here, put this on." She looked at the tunic in her hands, confused. "You're freezing," he stated.

Looking at her arms, she noticed they were covered in goosebumps. Her armor and hair were soaking and the night was only getting colder. "Oh," she mumbled, "thank you," she looked at the argonian. She must have still been in shock to not have noticed that she was shivering. It made sense, that was the most traumatic thing she'd ever been through. She didn't want to know what would have happened the Argonian –Derkeethus– hadn't saved her. The more she thought about it, the more grateful she became of him.

Amarathine changed behind a tree, peeling off her wet armor and cloak and replacing it with the soft dry tunic that reached down to the middle of her thighs. The she elf then went to the edge of the river to properly wash off her face which felt like it was covered with mud. She then undid her hair, which somehow was still tied, to let it dry faster. She returned to the camp to see Derkeethus setting up a stand over the fire pit made of thick branches, a cooking pot in the center.

He glanced up noticing her presence. "Come, sit here." he gestured at the bed roll spread by the fire pit. Amarathine made a move to do as he said when she noticed he had paused, staring at her. She looked back at him questioningly before he spoke. "You're an," he blinked, "an Altmer."

Oh no. Here comes the Thalmor accusation again. She gave him a sad grin, "why, do you regret saving me now?"

He looked shocked that she would say that. "No, it's just.. milady looks nothing like most Altmer."

"What?" Now it was her turn to be surprised. "That's it?"

"Forgive me for staring." He shook his head grinning, "Now come sit."

She gave him a unsure glance, and sat on the bed roll. He started the fire and took the wet armor from her. The Argonian took his time, neatly hanging the fabric parts on the stand over the fire and placing the leather bits on the surrounding rocks.

Amarathine observed him as he did. He was rather slim, wearing clothes typical of a miner. Did he even mind that they were wet? He must of read her mind, she watched as he removed his tunic and hung it beside her armor. Yes, he was very slim, a strange sight compared to the broad Nords she was used to seeing. He had such a non threatening look and personality to match. It was hard to believe he was the man who stood at the top of the berm, bathed in the evening light. The image was etched in her mind.

Derkeethus sat down across from her. She suddenly felt bad, she was sitting on his bed roll. Her eyes widened in realization. "My backpack!" She lost it back at the bandit camp. Now that she thought of it, her sword and dagger where still there too. Was it worth it? She really didn't want to go back there ever again. Sighing, she looked into the fire.

The Argonian stood up, breaking her chain of thought. "I will get it." He declared.

"No, don't!" Amathine protested standing up. "There are still bandits there!" What was he thinking? They were both almost killed. She didn't know what would have happened if they didn't jump into the water.

Derkeethus looked at her reassuringly. "I have to retrieve my arrows anyways." He took a dagger from his backpack and slug his bow over his back. He turned to leave, and looked back at her. "Stay here, I'll return soon."

She nodded, though she was still worried. She watched the thin, shirtless Argonian jog off in the direction of the bridge. Sitting back down, she brought her knees up and rested her chin on them.

This was not how her journey was supposed to go. It was supposed to be an uneventful walk across Skyrim, not an action filled adventure. How many more bandits would she come across? And how many more Argonians would come to her rescue? It was good to know all her training counted for nothing in the real world. She doubted she could kill a person even if she tried. The image of the man with an arrow in his chest flashed through her mind. Derkeethus killed all but two of the bandits and seemed unfazed, perhaps it wasn't as bad as she thought. Amarathine looked around, checking for perverted bandits. Alright, now she would be paranoid for now on. She let out another sigh, looking off in the direction Derkeethus went.

...

Derkeethus made his way back to the bandit's camp. Under the cover of nightfall he paced quietly down the path under the bridge. The man he shot in the neck was still lying there motionless in a pool of blood. The Argonian gripped the arrow as close to the man as he could and pulled it straight out. He flicked the blood off before putting it back in his quiver. Derkeethus scanned the ground as he continued down the main road, his vision was just good enough to spot stray arrows in the darkness.

He found the dirt path the bandits attempted to violate the innocent woman. At the top where he first saw her was now the bandit he hit square in the chest. Pulling out that arrow he now had five, one more than he originally had when he attacked.

The gate to the camp wasn't fully closed, Derkeethus could see the glow of a fire through the wooden posts, he had to be careful and kill them as soon as he had a clear shot. The Argonian had no doubts the large Nords could overpower him in close range.

He opened the gate as quietly as he could, slipping in with his bow already drawn. Both men were seated around a fire in front of the main building. One was wearing a full set of armor now, he must have been anticipating another attack. The other was sharpening a sword, muttering words Derkeethus could not make out from the distance.

Aiming for the armored one, he released the bow string, savoring the noise of the arrow as it flew through the air. It pierced the bandits steel armor through the side of his ribs, he let out a scream of pain before falling over.

The other bandit shot up alarmed. "I know that's you lizard!" He bellowed, waving his sharpened sword in the air.

Derkeethus pulled back the bow string with another arrow, as he did the bandit spotted him.

"There you are!" he yelled, rushing towards the Argonian, "I'm going to kill you!"

Derkeethus released the arrow and watched it fly towards the enraged man, his eyes widened when he watched the man blindly swing his sword and the arrow ricocheting off of it.

Well that didn't go as planned.

The Argonian dropped his bow and pulled out the dagger from his cord belt. He ran towards the bandit, a foolish move considering his size compared to the Nord. The bandit lifted his sword above his head in order to slash down on the Argonian, but Derkeethus was fast, he sidestepped out of the swords downward path and swing the dagger at the same moment. It cut deeply into the bandits arm, causing him to release the sword with the one hand. In the moment of catching him off guard, Derkeethus brought the dagger up and plunged it into the man's neck.

The bandit still glared at him as he fell to his knees. Derkeethus heard a clank as the man dropped it in favor of holding his bleeding neck. "Lizard-" he gargled.

Derkeethus brought up his foot and pushed him over. "Just die already." he hissed.

He returned to the gate to pick up his bow before heading towards the main building. Derkeethus stopped at the armored man near the fire, he was still alive, albeit barely. The Argonian bent down on his haunches grabbing the man must of known what he was doing, as he began to squirm though it seemed he couldn't talk. With a swift movement, Derkeethus pulled the arrow from the man, assessing it for damage before placing it with the others on his back. He left bandit there to die, gurgling, as punishment for what he did to the elven woman.

Inside the house, the Argonian found Amarathine's possessions on a table. He put the loose items back in her backpack and slid her dagger and sword beside his weapon on his hip. Finally, Derkeethus restrapped her bed roll to the bottom of the bag before slinging it over his shoulder and heading back out into the cold night.

He crossed the bridge and headed down the hill a ways to find the last two bandits he had killed earlier. Two arrows in the chest of one, and one well placed arrow in the throat of the other. Picking the last of the arrows from the men he headed back down to the main path and across the bridge.

Back to the Altmer he saved.

...

...

Sooo if you're wondering why Derkeethus is a bit of a bad ass, well I gave him an interesting background which will be reviled later on. Plus he is a "ranger".

Thanks for reading!


	5. The Travelers

Well it's been awhile, but I haven't forgotten about this story. In fact I think it's going to be even better now! Of course this is the first writing I've done since 2015 so I'm rusty, sorry! Anyways please review!

 _Sun comes up_

 _I just want to_

 _spend my day with you_

 _~Amarante_

...

Amarathine's eyes flew open only to be blinded by sunlight. She didn't recall falling asleep last night, she was too paranoid about bandits seeking her out to finish what they started.

She sat up in her bed roll noticing the blanket that covered her, one she did not remember having last night. Her eyes fell on an Argonian sleeping across the remains of last night's fire. The image of him on the berm once again flashed across her mind. She tilted her head to examine the Argonian closer. As he slept, his jaw hung slightly open revealing his needle like teeth, his skin – or scales – were a bright mossy green color and faintly shone in the sunlight, they looked smooth. Three small horns lined the bottom of each side of his jaw, dwarfed by the two much larger curved ones on his head. She noticed he wore his tunic again as his shoulders peaked out from under the bedroll.

Wait. She slept in his bedroll last night, which meant, he was sleeping in hers.

There was an Argonian in her bed. A male Argonian.

Where she was raised, only a married man and woman could sleep in one and others beds. But, then again, he was from a different place, and she was sure it was probably nothing at all like Alinor.

"You're staring at me so intently, I can feel it." The Argonians eyes opened to look at her.

The Altmer nearly jumped out of her skin and held in a squeal at the sound of his voice. "Ah, sorry about that.." She looked at the ground, "I've only ever seen one Argonian before and he wasn't fond of me. Or anyone for that matter." She added.

Derkeethus got up and began rolling up her bedroll. "Do not apologize milady, we are used to the staring eyes of strangers, even the Khajiit see us as unsightly." He gave her a look that closely resembled a toothy smile.

Amarathine opened her mouth to protest his statement but he interrupted her. "I will wash your bed roll if you would like, Milady. It was wrong of me to use it but the ground was cold and hard." He looked at her with round turquoise eyes.

Shaking her head she smiled, "that's alright Derkeethus, unless you would like me to wash yours as well. I haven't bathed in a while, well unless you count yesterday." Her smile widened.

The Argonian grinned, "as a matter of fact, I do."

...

Amarathine walked along side the Argonian man down the dirt path. It had been four hours since they left the campsite after a meal of roasted fish Derkeethus had caught. Said Argonian now peacefully hummed various melodies, as though he had not a care in all of Nirn.

The Argonian was meant to go to a mine known as Darkwater Crossing after becoming the target of newly converted Nords at his previous home in the Reach. Amarathine wondered how long the Argonian planned to walk with her before parting ways. When he showed her his destination on the map, it looked like the fastest way for him would be to turn east and go through Whiterun. She didn't know if Derkeethus would follow the main path, or veer off down one of the much less used dangerous ones. He seemed to capable enough to do so, but secretly she really hoped he'd stay with her for as long as possible.

She held Nord men in a new light now. Would she ever trust one again? Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the bandits yellow teeth as he grinned savagely at her. She shuddered at the thought.

"Are you alright, milady?" Derkeethus was looking at her now.

"Oh, just a chill in the air," she replied feigning nonchalance. It was in fact a brisk morning, the sun only occasionally peaking through the clouds.

"Perhaps we should stop soon." He turned his gaze to the surrounding trees. "I can find some berries for use to eat while you warm up by the fire."

Amarathine politely shook her head. She was moved by his generosity, but refused to become more of a burden than she already was. She was an imperial guard, not a baby in need of constant attention. In retrospect, she should have been on her way as soon they got out of the river. She should have toughened up and went straight back to the camp, killed the remaining men and took her things back.

"I'm fine to go on for now." She smiled at Derkeethus, "my legs will get sore again once we sit down, so I'd like to avoid that for as long as possible." Her excuse had some truth to it. The longer she walked, the more numb her legs would become. It was bliss compared to the intense sore muscles she felt every morning since she left Solitude around ago.

Derkeethus looked up at the sky and let out a deep chuckle. "It does take a while to adjust, doesn't it? I remember feeling a similar pain when I traveled her from Black Marsh"

The sun peered out from between the clouds. The elf smiled, half at the Argonian and half at the warmth that suddenly greeted her. "Why did you come here in the first place? It's so far from your home." The question seemed innocent enough in her eyes.

"Ah," he crossed his arms over his chest, "as I grew up, I began to form different views to my Marsh brothers and sisters, and so I was sent away." He finished simply.

Amarathine's eyes widened at his statement. He was sent away because of differentiating views? That sounded a lot like home. Were Agonians as threatened by the outside world as Altmer were?

"That seems slightly excessive in my opinion." She replied.

He gave her a look of indifference, "I would have left anyways, I alone would never be enough to make change, there was no point in staying."

The elf hummed in agreement. She knew that feeling all too well.

"What about you milady? You are far from home."

"I ran away." She said tersely. The sun disappeared once more.

"Oh, and why would a young elf maiden run away so far?"

She couldn't help but shrug. "My reasons aren't very dissimilar to yours I guess. I don't want to be found either, and Skyrim isn't a popular choice among Altmer." She glared up at the clouds willing them to disappear, taking the cold breeze with them.

"You are from nobility, yes?"

Amarathine jerked her head to gaze at the Argonian in shock. "How could you tell?" No one had ever expressed such things to her since traveling to Skyrim. She assumed no one could tell here, even the elven sisters in Solitude never asked such things.

"We Saxleel tend to pick up on body language more than men and mer. Altmer walk differently then any other, and you walk slightly different then them, like you've been trained from a very young age."

She didn't know if she was flattered or insulted. She was in fact trained from the time she first stood until she was sixteen on how to walk, sit, lie, stand, and turn. However, she made a point to not do it the second she was free from scrutinizing eyes.

"But…I try so hard to not…" she trailed off.

Derkeethus brought a scaled hand up to his chin in thought. "The only thing that is strange to me, is you walk with your head down, all other Altmer walk with their heads up."

Letting out a relieved sigh, Amarathine smiled at him. "At least I'm doing something right then. Perhaps my mother never caught it because I'm rather short for an Altmer and had to always look up anyways."

They laughed.

"It helps you fit in." He said still grinning.

Like many other men, Derkeethus stood nearly the same night as her, horns included, he was slightly taller.

"Even your eyes are different than most." Derkeethus added as an afterthought.

She turned to look at him once again only to find him already looking into her eyes.

"They are pale blue, like the moons reflection in the water."

The ground suddenly became very interesting as Amarathine felt her cheeks heat up. "Thank you," she mumbled embarrassed. It was a strange compliment, but she couldn't help but picture the beautiful imagery in her mind and blush even more at the thought of the comparison. Blue eyes were rare among high elves, so rare in fact, she was often compared to Queen Ayrenn, much to Amarathine's disdain. The past Queen was knowledgeable, but believed in elven supremacy. Amarathine only believed in equality.

…

An entire week went by, and Derkeethus still happily traveled with her. They were finally nearing Rorikstead. The thought of staying in an inn was a beautiful one. Amarathine really couldn't complain though, every night Derkeethus would go out of his way to search for a perfect spot to set up camp. He would either venture off to find a near by lake or river to catch fish, or head out into the trees hunting rabbits with his bow. The previous night Amarathine had insisted to go hunting with him, and he agreed.

She spent entirely too much time attempting to take down one rabbit. Back in Alinor she had learned archery and become proficient at it, however that was with perfect form and an obvious target. Crawling around in the dirt with a bow was completely different matter. After five missed attempts she reluctantly gave the Argonian his bow back in defeat. Of course, Derkeethus managed to kill two within minutes of finding them. He had made a joke about his green scales being better camouflage, but the credibility was lost due to the fact she had been crawling beside him the entire time.

Currently it was a sunny Tirdas morning. It seemed the further south she traveled, the more mild the weather became. Winter in Solitude wasn't pleasant to say the lest. The novelty of snow quickly wore off quickly when she first arrived in Skyrim. Amarathine remembered the first time it got into her boot, it was the most terrible sensation she had ever felt.

Derkeethus was in a good mood, as per usual. He picked berries from the bushes surrounding their campsite humming as he did. Amarathine openly observed him from her bedroll as she brushed her hair. She had recently noticed his scales were becoming more and more dull, they retained their mossy green colour but lost their shine completely now. She assumed it was from the lack of water, it was the only thing Derkeethus ever complained about. There were a few streams and ponds around, but nothing the Argonian could swim in.

After she finished brushing and braiding her hair, Amarathine packed up her bedroll and went a little further off to change into her light armor. Her muscles must have finally become accustomed to the endless walking. It was no longer a chore for her legs to get up in the morning. She also noticed she had lost weight. Altmer in general were thin, but the slight amount of heathy weight she did carry was gone. She first noticed when she was putting on her armor days ago. Her stomach no longer looked soft and feminine. It looked hard and she could begin to see the definition of muscles she thought only men could have. Her mother would surely be furious if she ever saw.

Amarathine could here the Argonians voice as she returned to the campsite to pick some berries for herself.

" _I will treat you right_

 _You are the only thing that I need_

 _I will keep you safe_

 _Don't be afraid of me_ "

Amarathine smiled as his words once again turned back into hums. He looked up to acknowledge her presence as she approached him.

"Here milady, I've picked you some berries." He held a palm full of wild raspberries out to her.

She kneeled down beside him and cupped her hands to receive the fruit. "Thank you kind sir." She replied lightly laughing. He laughed with her, picking more raspberries as she began to eat hers.

"You know you can use my name," she said. "Unless you've just forgotten it and are too embarrassed to ask again." She added, grinning again.

"Of course not milady," he turned to her again. "I am but a simple miner unworthy of calling a woman of noble roots by her first name at leisure." He brought his head down in an exaggerated bow before smiling back up at her.

"A simple miner who I owe my life to." Joking aside, her tone was slightly more serious now. An image of the arrow in the mans chest pushed its way into her mind. She closed her eyes willing the image away.

Since that night she was constantly in fear of being ambushed by bandits at any moment. She dreamt of men easily disarming her and holding a sword to her throat while she would watch them kill Derkeethus. Thankfully she would wake up before they turned their attention back to her.

She was thankful of Derkeethus' presence, she felt much safer when he was around. He also provided her with distractions from her thoughts, making small comments or pointing out things she wouldn't have noticed otherwise. The Argonian seemed to be able to hear and smell better than any man or mer she new of. It was amazing, actually.

"I would gladly do it again, Lady Amarathine" he replied earnestly. "Come, let's get going."


	6. It's the Fear that Binds Us

Oh hi.

...

 _You're afraid and scared of me_

 _When you come home you will see_

 _I'm the one you'll always need_

 _~Amarante_

 _..._

Only a few days later the pair had finally reached Rorikstead. Amarathine could hardly contain her happiness when she saw rooftops appear over the hill. It had been an uphill trek since they last made camp two days ago. Just when Amarathine thought she was no longer sore, new muscles ached more than ever.

The land surrounding Rorikstead was full of crops and pastures containing cattle. Many of the fields where dotted with farmers flanked by horse and carriage harvesting their produce. It was late in the day, but the weather remained mild thanks to the warm evening sun.

As the pair approached the small town, the sound of civilization began to overcome the sound of nature. Nords were obnoxiously loud talkers, even Derkeethus agreed. Amarathine put up her hood out of habit. There was no need to draw more attention to herself than necessary, she had no idea what the people of Skyrim where like outside of the Imperial city. It took months for her to gain any real trust from the people of Solitude. She remembered being approached by the Altmer sisters days after she arrived. They had told her that if she was up to no good she had better leave. They did not want another Altmer to tarnish the reputation they had spent years building.

"You hide, milady?"

She turned to look at the Argonian regarding her. "I'd rather not make myself obvious." she said.

Derkeethus turned his gaze back to the path in front of her, offering no comment in return. Suddenly realization dawned on Amarathine. She could easily hide by putting a hood over her head, but he could not. Argonians were rarely allowed in city walls, and those who she had seen were openly harassed by the locals. They could not hide.

"Oh Derkeethus, I did not mean-"

He shook his head, "do not worry, milady. I am not offended," he paused. "Merely envious."

"Well I prefer your company over a Nords any day." She gave him a genuine smile which he returned with his own toothy grin.

They walked through the main road of Rorikstead receiving many sideways glances from the people. Some would pause their conversation and stare as the pair passed by, their expressions painted with contempt. Amarathine observed they would first notice Derkeethus before turning their attention to her.

She glanced at Derkeethus to judge his reaction, but he remained indifferent. He kept his head high and walked with confidence. Amarathine felt she was the envious one. She was not brave enough to show her face openly on the streets, and never had the courage to look strangers in the eye as she walked past. She wondered she could ever be like him. She hoped that with time, she would be able to.

"Filthy green skin," a man muttered as he strode by. Amarathine jerked her head in his direction and sent a dirty look to the back of his head.

Derkeethus caught her attention. "Look, the inn is just up ahead." He seemed unaffected by the man's rude comment.

Amarathine followed his gaze to the large building with a sign that read Frostfruit Inn in large lettering.

Upon entering moments later, she found the building was warm and inviting. It was much smaller than The Winking Skeever, but made her feel at home none the less. She followed Derkeethus to the front counter paying little attention to the few people sitting around tables. A middle age man placed his broom against the wall and greeted them with a gruff welcome.

"Would you like a room young lady?" He ignored the Derkeethus' presence completely. "We have space behind the inn for your servant to sleep."

Amarathine felt her jaw slack at the man's ignorant comment. She looked at Derkeethus in complete disbelief and then looked back at the man.

The innkeeper took her reaction the wrong way. "Ah sorry, we have a bedroll in the cellar if you would like him closer."

Before she could form a cohesive sentence, she watched Derkeethus nod his head from the corner of her eye. "That will do nicely."

The innkeeper looked from the Argonian back to her as if waiting for her to give the final word. Once again Derkeethus spoke before she could. "I am happy with the cellar milady, if that is alright with you."

She nodded looking into his turquoise eyes, "of course Derkeethus, but-"

"It's settled then," the innkeeper interrupted. "That will be 15 septims."

Derkeethus handed the man the coins from a pouch he carried in his pocket before Amarathine could protest. The innkeeper accepted the money without a word to the Argonian. The blank look on his face once again turned into a smile as he turned his attention back towards her.

"This way, m'lady." He said as he walked around the counter and through the inn.

Amarathine proceeded to follow the stocky man to her room. She threw a glance over her shoulder at Derkeethus, he was descending a flight of stairs to what she assumed was the cellar.

The innkeeper showed her to her room and told her that soup would be ready in an hour and a half. She also requested a bath and handed him five of her own gold coins. Her bath would be ready in half an hour.

Her room was a modest size. It had a small bed, wash basin, table and two chairs. In the corner was a small fireplace and a stack of lumber beside it. Amarathine immediately filled it with kindling and lit it with the provided tinder, flint stone and steel striker. After a small fire was established, she added two logs.

Next, Amarathine took her cloak and armor off, replacing it with the tattered navy tunic dress she always carried with her. She pulled her comb and hand mirror from her bag and sat down at the table across from her bed. She propped the mirror up on an empty wooden bowl and proceeded to undo her messy braid.

Noticing something strange, Amarathine leaned in closer to the mirror to examine her golden skin. Light golden brown freckles spotted her nose and cheeks, her face and neck were also darker than they had ever been. She absently brought a hand up to her face as she examined the suns effects. She noticed her dark brows had too grown in. She normally plucked them thin like she was always taught proper Altmer ladies had to do, but looking at her now thicking brows, she thought they rather suited her.

Her fingers grazed over her full lips, another undesirable Altmer trait. In Alinor she powdered her face and lips to make her skin appear flawless and her lips to look smaller, but she had grown to like her natural appearance more and more. Looking at herself now, she would say she looked…healthy.

Picking up her comb, Amarathine found herself humming one of the many melodies she had heard from Derkeethus as she ran it though her long hair. It took a few minutes before she got all of the tangles out. She preferred to comb her hair before bathing, it made washing it a much more pleasant experience.

Fifteen minutes later Amarathine relaxed in a wooden basin full of water warmed from the kitchen ovens in the next room. It had been a long time since she last bathed, seeing the color the water turned only proved it further. Derkeethus may be content jumping into freezing lakes and rivers at any given time, but she only forced herself to when it was absolutely necessary. She shuttered at the thought of the cold water.

As she continued to clean herself, she listened to the muffled voice of the bard sing along to a lute. Of course it was Ragnar The Red. It must have been a town favorite, oh joy, she thought as she leaned her head back on the edge of the tub and closed her eyes.

Suddenly a man's face flashed before her eyes. She jerked upright and the water splashed around her. The man's yellow teeth glistening behind his deranged smile consumed her vision when she squeezed her eyes shut. His face vanished only to be replaced by more now looking down at her like crazed animals. She felt her heart racing in her chest as her breaths came out as shallow pants.

No matter how hard she pressed her hands over her ears, she could still hear everything. No matter how tightly she squeezed her eyes shut, she could still see everything. No matter how closely she brought her knees to her chest, she could still feel everything.

Hands grabbing any inch of exposed skin. An arrow protruding from a man's chest. Men's deafening shouts in alarm and anger.

A silhouette surrounded by blazing light.

The sound of the lute once again flowed into her ears. However, it was different. Amarathine removed her hands she unknowingly brought to her ears so she could hear it more clearly. Her heartbeat began to slow.

The music was unlike anything she had ever heard before. It was light and musical. Amarathine removed herself from the wash basin and slipped her dress over her head. She combed through her wet hair with her fingers as she approached the door and opened it, enchanted.

The main hall was now filled with people, townsfolk and farmers alike. A barmaid passed out bowls of soup to a group of men at a far table, and the innkeeper conversed loudly with a couple sitting at the bar.

She then spotted Derkeethus, and in is hands was the lute that playing the beautiful music. His body swayed to the melody he created with his fingers over the strings. It was then she recognized the song.

" _I will treat you right_

 _You are the only thing that I need_

 _I will keep you safe_

 _Don't be afraid of me_

 _You're afraid and scared of me_

 _When you come home you will see_

 _I'm the one you'll always need"_

He took notice of her as she made her way towards him, and continued singing.

" _She loves when all the people fall in line_

 _She loves when I come home_ "

Without looking away, Amarathine sat down at a nearby table, resting her head in her palm as she continued to listen along with the rest of the people. She wasn't the only one enthralled by the music it seemed. More and more people where turned to face Derkeethus to better listen to him, many of them starting to sway and clap along with the melody.

His fingers stopped suddenly, leaving only the note of his voice. Then he started to play again, strumming all the strings at once to create an even more upbeat melody. Nearly all of the townsfolk clapped along now. A couple of ladies stood up and began to dance with the bard.

Derkeethus looked up to Amarathine when he started to sing along once more. She returned his smile.

She wondered if it was Derkeethus' song that pulled her out of the vivid vison she had. She often wondered what her fate would have been if it wasn't for him. The terrible death she avoided by chance. She hoped she would never face a bandit again, as unlikely as that was. Or at least Derkeethus would be there as well, so he could protect her.

But she already owed a life debt to him. And she spent all that time learning to defend herself from the Imperial Army and even the short time spent with the Khajiit. She would have to figure out a way to fight in real situations. Perhaps she would ask Derkeethus for advice, he always knew what to do.

Loud cheering brought her out of her trance. She blinked and took her eyes of the chair she had just been staring at. Derkeethus was passing the lute back to its original owner who looked a little worried. Amarathine would have been worried too if she knew she would have to compete with that performance.

The innkeeper was shuffling though a crowd of people and paused briefly in front of her.

"That's some servant you got yourself there, m'lady." He boomed over the chattering voices.

Amarathine opened her mouth to deny the man's accusation, but he had already continued on through the crowd. She closed her parted lips and they instantly formed a pout.

Movement caught the corner of her eye. She turned back in her seat to see Derkeethus had sat down beside her at the table with two bowls of soup. He placed one before her and the other in front of himself. For a moment she wondered how an Argonian used a spoon, but her curiosity was quickly put to rest when he raised it to his mouth and drank it straight from the bowl instead. She took a bite of her own slightly bland soup, though it was much better than plain cooked fish and berries so she was happy.

"We should rest soon." Derkeethus said, looking at her. He placed his empty bowl back on the table.

Amarathine adverted her gaze back to her own bowl.

"I wish he did not force you to sleep in the cellar."

"It's alright milady. I don't mind the damp."

"He was going to make you sleep outside!" She looked back up at him in disbelief. It didn't matter if he was ok with it, it was still wrong.

"Amarathine." He spoke softly. "Sometimes you just have to accept things as they are."

"I know. And that's why I left Alinor, to get away from those who cannot accept others. But I've since learned it is more than just Altmer who think that way." She found herself eyeing the various people in the large room.

Derkeethus followed her gaze before looking back into her eyes. "And who are we to change that, milady?" He glanced down at her nearly full soup, and back up to her and grinned once again. "Now hurry up and finish your food so we can get some sleep."

...


End file.
